Did the Edmonton Oilers see the game Jeff Petry just had?

Pretty much everyone expects that the Edmonton Oilers are going to trade Jeff Petry. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent on a bad team, and said bad team has never really seemed all that committed to the player.

It’ll be a shame if it happens, because he’s the best defenceman on the team, and the kind of things he does when he’s at his best were on full display in Friday’s 5-2 victory over Chicago.

The Tough Minutes

On Friday Petry led the Oilers in both total ice time (21:47) and also even-strength ice time (19:43), which is a pretty good indication of what new head coach Todd Nelson thinks of the player. In the six games since Nelson has taken over full control of the head coaching duties, Petry has played 20-plus minutes every night while fellow right-side defenders Mark Fayne and Justin Schultz have topped the 20 minute mark just twice each.

Wow. Not only was Petry playing against the best player on the best team in the league, but he started more shifts in the defensive zone than the other two right-shooting defenceman did combined? He must have been buried, right?

Petry: +15/-10 on-ice Corsi, +3/-0 on-ice goals

Schultz: +12/-18 on-ice Corsi, +1/-0 on-ice goals

Fayne: +15/-18 on-ice Corsi, +0/-2 on-ice goals

Jeff Petry spent Friday night playing pretty much the toughest minutes the NHL has to offer, and while he was on the ice the Oilers out-scored Chicago 3-0 and 60% of shot attempts took place in the Blackhawks’ end of the rink. Oh, and he scored the game-winning goal.

Change of Heart(s)?

If there is one thing the Oilers’ coaches agree on, it seems to be that they like Jeff Petry. Nelson has treated him like his No. 1 defenceman, while Dallas Eakins repeatedly defended the player publicly. It should also be remembered what Steve Smith (who ran the Oilers’ defence last year before taking a job in Carolina this season) said about the player in a September interview on Oilers Now:

You look at Jeff and the things that he has done with a program that is on the build, I think he’s done pretty darn well. He’s had to play against all the top centremen in the league for two or three years now. He’s had to play against all the top power plays in the league for two or three years now. He’s really an underrated penalty killer, he’s really a wonderful skater, he’s a good person, he’s a good teammate, and he attempts to do all the things that are asked of him on a daily basis. What else can you ask of a player?

I wonder a little bit what MacTavish thought of Petry during his stint behind the bench last month. His time in that position inspired a lot of activity – four of the Oilers’ 12 forwards are new to the lineup in the extremely brief period since – and is pretty clearly informing his plan the rest of the way. Did he see the same things in Petry that Nelson, Eakins and Smith did?

Despite the seeming inevitability of a Petry deal the Oilers still have time before the trade deadline. Is it time enough for Petry to convince Craig MacTavish that he’s a piece to build around, and time enough for MacTavish to convince Jeff Petry that he should stay in Edmonton?

I don’t have the answer for that. But the more Edmonton wins, the better Petry must feel about the team. And the more Petry plays a leading role in those efforts, the better the team must feel about Petry. If this keeps up, we just might see the relationship last a little longer than previously expected.

Petry more than likely choose the one year deal, wanting to test the UFA waters, or just plain wanted to get out the circus!Judging by the amount of money he got for the one year]$3.7 ] that he let MACT know he’s a goner. If MacT was trying to entice for a multi year repeat, than surely he would have signed him, or at least enticed him with a better dollar figure.

Petry looking East, closer to home and family,
less travel and perhaps a softer conference.

UFA’s for Oilers to consider.. Franson, similar to Petry [with a few more points]and is a RH .

Boychuck, three years older, plays a grittier game on the back end scores a few more points.
My guess NYI, will resign him,unless Oilers overpay.

I think Petry would be a solid #3/4 on a top team in the league. I’m talking about the Chicago’s, St. Louis’s, La’s and Winnipeg’s (wait what?!?!… When healthy winnipegs defence is stellar) . Petry is a building piece for a top team because he brings everything an NHL defencemen needs plus a bonafide depth option when injury strikes. I am praying Petry is resigned because he is a solid, solid Dman.

He has more crappy games than good games. Was at the game and Fayne is a real defence man. Petry needs to go after he signs a big contract he’ll go back to the weak exits when 5 minutes left in game for the loss like he used 2.